Process of smelting and converting ores.



PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

A. M. DAY.

PROCESS OF SMELTING AND CONVERTING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED APE.19-, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 18, 1906.

M. DAY. PROCESS OF SMBLTING AND CONVERTING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED APE.19,1905. 3 SHEETS-BHEET 3.

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cm? is UNITE STATES PATENT cl nics.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Original application filed October 29, 1904, SerialNo. 230,468. Divided and this application filed April 19, 1905. Serial No.256,48f1. I

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. DAY, a taizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in

the county of Silver-bow and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in-Processes of Smelting and Converting Ores, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the ac-' companying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates more particularly to the smelting of raw or crude sulfid copper ores and to the conversion of copper matte into pig-copper, although it is applicable to the treatment of other ores containing or mixed with substances which can be utilized for fuel in the smeltin operations.

The main objects 0 the invention are to utilize the sulfur or other fuel contained in crude ores for smelting-them, thereby effecting a saving in fuel; to avoid the losses in fuel and metal incident to the ordinary concentrating and calcining or roasting operations and a part of the lossesincident to smelting according to the usual methods; to admit of the employment of-permanent or durable lin-v ings in place of the silicious linings commonly used in treating matte produced from this class of ores; to keep the twyers open without thrusting rods or bars through them, according to t e usual practice ;'to inject into the molten charge of ore or matte a positive j supply of fuel, flux, or silica as'it isrequired in a fiuentform (powdered or liquid) with an air-blast separate and distinct from the main air-blast, thereby admitting of accurate regulation of the supply of s eh material and preventing the same from 10 ging in and clogging the main-blast passage; to deliver the air,-

blast, which supplies oxygen for combustion,

and the fuel, ux, and silica '01'" other-substances required for the smelting and con- -verting operations to. the charge of ore or matte at or near the melting zone or level as fusion progresses downward, and generally to simp cheapen, and improve processes ofthis class. m Y

The invention consists in the novel processes and operations, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in, the claims. In the accompanying drawin s, illustrat 'ing apparatus suitable for pe orming theprocess, like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is. a vertical longitudinal section and partial elevation of the apparatus.- Fig.

-mounted and movable endwise upon a guide h. 'A centrally-located piston-head i, fitted 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation as seen from the left with reference to Fig. 1 of the smelting vessel or converterbowl and the mechanism for tilting the same, certain parts being broken away and shown in vertical section.' Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of one form of twyer extension constitutin a part of the apparatus, and Fig 5 is a similar view showing means for forming twyer extensions in another way.

a designates the smelting vessel or conve'rter-bowl, whichis made of boiler-plate or sheet metal lined with fire-brick and provided at the top with a nozzle 1) and at the bottom with .a wind-box or air-chamber c. It is, provided on opposite sides with trunnions d and e, which are fitted to turn in bearmgs provided therefor on columns or other suitable supports.

wheel f is fixed on the outer end of the trunnion d and meshes with a rack formed or provided on a hydraulic cylinder g, which is in said cylinder, is connected'by tubular rods 7', passin through stufling-boxes in the c linder-hea s, with brackets on the ends-of the guide h, and to the outer ends of these rods are attached pipes, as shown in Fig. 3, through which water is admitted under pressure to either end of the c linder and exhausted from the opposite end by way of said iston-rods under the control of suitable va ves or.- valve mechanism, which are not shown. The tubular piston-rods are formed close to thepiston with holes through which the wa-' ter passes n entering and escaping from the v cylinder.

The vessel or bowl a is provided with, a number of twyers 7:, extending u wardly through the bottom from the win -box or air-chamber c, with which the communicate.

The trunnion e is made ho low and is con- IOO neoted With the Wind-box c by a passage I at the side of the vessel a. A tubular extension m, detachably fastened to the outer end of the trunnion e, is fitted to turn in an internally-recessed sleeve n. A pipe 0, having an [0 5 elbow, isattached at one end to and communicates with said sleeve and is connected at the other end by a packed swivel-joint p with the main air-blast or su plyipe i The sleeve it IS formed at the-en s wit stu no For tilting the vessel a from and back to'an. upright position a gear- 9. Y himsei -boxes and provided glands and is' ingbridge-piece across the inner end of the sleeve 7:. are secured flexible hose or pipe sections .9 in position to register with the en ds of the ipe-sections r.

The apparatus comprises a number of closed reservoirs orreceptacles t, one only of which is shown. Each of these receptacles is 'connected'at the top with a compressed-airply pi e u by a branch su valve an at the bottom, w ch is preferably funnel-shaped, with a correspondi number of auxiliary air-blast or compresse -air-supply pipes v by branches provided with valves or ates 'w. Tlie pipes 0 are connected at one en with the com ressed-air supply andat the other end, by t e flexible hose-sections s, passing through stufling-boxes in the head of the trunnion extension m, with the pipe-sections 1 and certain of the twyers k, with which said-pipe-sections communicate.

With the apparatus hereinbefore described the process constituting the present invention is performed or carried out as follows: Tubular extensions :1: being inserted in the several twyers k, as shown in Fig. 1, and the receptacles t being supplied, onewith fuel, suchas powdered coal or coke or oil, another with a'suitable flux, such as powdered limestone or iron ore, and another with powdered silica, twyer extensions :1: with the ore to be treated-such, for example, as crude coppersulfld ore. The charge is then dried sufiiciently to prevent explosions by kindling a wood or coal fire on top of it or applying heat thereto. turned on from the main su thro h the main'blast-passage and the vessel a is tilted into a convenient position to receive molten matte or other suit i able substance containing sufficient heat to start the smelting operation. The vessel a the top ofthe charge, progressing gradually pipe containing a the vessel 0 isfilled to the top of'the y otherwise. Compressed air is y-p e 9 wind boxc, an twyers is, communicating therewith,

a bottom.

downward until the entire char e has been fused. As the operation procee s the smelting vessel is turned down and the molten slag accumulating at the surface is drawn off from time to time through the nozzle 1) in order to avoid an unnecessary increase of pressure to force the air through the slag and, on the other hand, a diminution of the volume of air passing through the matte and conse- 2126111 abatement of the smelting operation.

the melting zone or level rogresses downward thetubesa; are melted off, so that the air is delivered tothe'top of the charge of ore below the molten covering. The ore is mixed, if possible, so as to produce a selffluxing charge; but when this is impracticable the flux required to properly fuse the charge is supplied from one of the receptacles t by opening one or more of the va ves or gates 'w below said receptacle, thereby admitting the powdered flux into one or more of the auxiliary blast-pipes '0, from which it is carried through the connections hereinbefore described to one or more of the twyers and delivered-at the to of the charge below the molten covering, w ere the reatest heat is produced and maintained. T e oxidation V of the sulfur and iron or other combustible substances ordinarily contained in the ore produces sufficient heat to smelt the ore, the operation having been started by the cover ing of molten matte'or other substance. In

case, however, the ore contains insufficient fuel to maintain the required degree of heat powdered coal or coke or even oilis supplied, as re uired, from one of the receptacles t, this additlonal fuel-supply being re ulated by the adjustment of the valve or vafves 'w and delivered by the twyer extensions to the charge where the operation of fusion is most active. To keep the twyers open, a small quantity of powdered silica is supplied from one of thereceptacles t to one ormore of the twyers. The silica injected into the charge while it is agitated by the air-blast is diffused through the entire charge and brought into contact withthe'iron which is contained in the charge and with which it combines and forms a fluid slag. The chemical reactions which thus take place throughout the entire molten portion of the charge while the demand of the iron for silica is being satisfied operate to kee the twyers open. I By this means the ordinary -method of keeping them open by thrusting bars throughthem from time to time is discarded, an operation that would be difiicult and inconvement to erform in connection with an upright sme ting vessel like that herein shown, having twyers in the With nections between eachof thereceptacles t .and certain of the twyers fluent material the. arrangement shown and de scribed of several separate and-distinct con- IOO IIO

from either one ofthe receptacles may be 6o brickor clay linings in the furnace or consupplied simultaneously through all of the several connections to the smelting vessel, or one kind of material may be supplied through two of said connections, while another kind is supplied from another receptacle through the third connection, or three kinds of mate rialfuel, flux, and silica-may be supplied simultaneously from the several receptacles, one connection being used with each receptacle for one kind of material.

With some kinds of ore the twyer extensions may be formed by tamping the ore around rods y, temporarily inserted in the twyers k, as shown in Fig. 5, while the smelting vessel is being charged, these rods being withdrawn and leaving openings or passages .from the twyers to the surface of the charge.

In this case the ore itself forms fusible twyer extensions,which take the place and serve the purpose of'the tubes .70.

With the auxiliary blast-pipes leading through the main blast-passage to and connecting with certain twyers a ositive and accurately-regulated supply-b fuel, flux,

silica, or other material in a fluent form may be delivered to the char e in the smelting vessel independentl of t e main airsuppl thereto, and in t 's way the lodging of sucli material in and the clogging of the main airblast passage are avoided.

For the'conversion of copper matte to pigcoplper the twyer extensions are dispensed wit being delivered into the bottom of the vessel 0,.

irectly from the twyers k This may be done in the same vessel 'after the smelting operation hereinbefore described has been completed, molten matte from other smelterat' ers being supplied to complete the charge, or

the matte may be transferred from the .vessel in which the crude ore has been smelted to another like or similar apparatus for convert-f ing it into pig-copper. In the conversion of the matte into copper the twyers are kept open, the same as in smelting crude ore, byintroducing powdered silica or silicious ore through one -or more of the twyers, and the silica or silicious ore in this case serves the additional purpose of combinin with the iron contained 1n the matte, and tfliereby libthe copper. By the method herein descri ed of introducing fuel in a fluent form with an air-blast separate and distinct from the main air-blast into the charge high-grade matte, which would otherwise have to be mixed with low-gradematte, can be successfully converted. v

The method employed in my process of injecting powdered silica into the charge ad mits of. the use of permanent or durable fire verter, and thereby dispenses with the silicious linings which are commonly emplpiyed the air and owdered or fluent material &

have to be frequently renewed, and case p manner of performing the several steps or operations of the process may be made within theprinciple and intended scope of the invention.

1. The process of smelting ore consisting in covering a charge of the ore with a molten substance containing sufficient heat to start fusion of the char e, and supplying airto the charge at or near he varying melting-level as fusion progresses downward, substantially as described.

2.v The process of smelting ore consisting in covering a charge of the ore with a molten substance contamin sufficient heat to start fusion of the ore, an injecting fuel in a fluent form with air into the charge at or near the melting zone or level below the molten covering as fusion progresses downward, substantially as described.

applying heat to the top of the charge, forcing air into the charge and simultaneously injecting into the charge at or near the meltinglevel as fusion progresses downward, fluent material with an auxiliary air-blastseparate from the main air-blast, substantially as described.

4. The process of smelting ore or matte consisting in injecting into the charge of ore or matte at the melting-level fuel in fluent form with a blast of air separate and distinct 3'. The process of smelting ore consisting in from the main air-blast, substantially as described. u

' 5. The process of smeltin or converting ore or matte consisting in orcing airinto- 'the charge and injecting fuel in fluent form with an air-blast separate and distinct from the main air-blast, substantially as described.

6. The process of smelting ore consisting in applying eat tothe top of the charge, forcing air into the charge and simultaneously injectin into the charge at or near the melting.leve as fusion progresses downward, independently-regulated suppliesof different. kinds of material with auxiliary air-blasts separate from the main air-blast, 'substan-.

tially as described,

7. The process of smelting ore andconverting matte which consists in forcing air I substance containing sufficient heat to start fusion of the charge, supplying air to the top of the charge below the molten substance as fusion progresses downward, and injecting a flux and fuel in a fluent form with air into the charge at or near the melting zone or level as it progresses downward, substantially as described.

9. The process of smelting ore consisting in covering a charge of the ore with. a molten substance containing sufiicientheat .to start fusion of the char e, supplying air under pressure to the top 0 the charge below the molten covering and meeting with separate and distinct air-blasts, uel'and silicious material delivered at or near the melting-level as it progresses downward, substantially as described.

10. The process of smelting ore consisting in drying the top of the charge, covering it with a molten su heat to start fusion of the charge, and supplying air under pressure to the charge at or near the melting-level as fusion progresses downward, substantially as described.

11. The process of smelting ore consisting tance containing sufficient in covering a charge of the ore with a inolte'rr substance containing suflicient heat to start 3 5 fusion of the: charge, supplying air under pressure to the top of the char e below the molten covering and drawing off om time to time the slag accumulating at the surface as fusion progresses downward, substantially as 40 described.

12. The process of smelting crude ore containing or mixed with a combustible substance such as sulfur, consisting in covering a charge of the ore with a molten substance containing sufiicient heat to start fusion of the char e, supplyin air under pressure to the top 0% the charge elow the molten covering as fusion progresses downward, and injecting fuel, flux and silicious material in a fluent form, with air-blasts delivered at or near the melting-level, substantially as described.

13. The process of smelting ore or matte consisting in the application of heat and a blast of'air to the charge and in forcing fuel in a fluent form into the charge with an airblast se arate from the main air-blast, substantiall y as described.

In witness whereof I hereto afiix my signa- 6o ture in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR M. DAY.. 

